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Didrachm
| Issuer | Samos |
|---|---|
| Year | 522 BC - 520 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Drachm |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Head of a lion with open jaws facing right, depicted in bold archaic relief with stylized mane striations and a pronounced eye. The type is set within a deeply recessed incuse square, the interior border defined by a row of dots, a hallmark of early Greek coinage technique associated with Samian mint practice of the late 6th century BC. The incuse field is plain, drawing full visual emphasis to the lion's head as the central device. |
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| Mint | Samos |
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| Additional information |
Samos in the late 6th century BC was among the wealthiest poleis in the Aegean, enriched by trade networks stretching from Egypt to the Black Sea under the tyrant Polycrates. His reign ended abruptly around 522 BC when the Persian satrap Oroetes lured him to the mainland under false diplomatic pretenses and had him crucified — placing this issue squarely at the moment the island's political order collapsed.
Samian silver of this period is notable for its early adoption of the heraldic device system, helping establish conventions later used across dozens of Aegean mints.